AGATE: Astronomy and Geology - Awareness, Tourism and Education
projects.
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about.
AGATE: Astronomy and Geology - Awareness, Tourism and Education. The program has multiple aims including:
1) creating awareness of the local geology
2) conservation of geologically significant structures
3) relating this with the geology of other planets/moons (i.e., planetary geology)
4) creating opportunities (employment/education) for local people
5) popularising scientific method and inquiry through local and planetary geology
people.
AGATE is a geology and astronomy awareness, education and poplurarization project by Sonit Sisolekar, who is known as the youngest volcanologist of India and the recipient of the Prime Minister's National Child Award of India. Sonit has done research in volcanology and presented papers at NASA/USRA-LPSC and other international conferences. He was also won the best scientist award at Pune, India. For more information, click here - https://www.sonit.org
Sonit has developed a novel model for the popularization of astronomy and geology called AGATE. The paper describing this model was presented by him at the East African Astronomical Society Workshop (EAASW conference 2021). The AGATE model was very much appreciated by the scientists at the conference. Taking a step forward, AGATE has now been launched with the formation of geology clubs, geology quizzes, geo-board games, etc. AGATE aims to spread the awareness of geology to the remotest of the villages across the globe, and help the rural people use the knowledge of their local geology for their sustainable development through the development of geo-tourism programs and other activities. The Urban componet of AGATE will focus on the the education about the locally available geological feature and the conservation of these features, and to help students understand the geological processes that caused them.
